Eragon tells Roran about him being a Dragon Rider
by Shadowfeather12
Summary: Eragon decides to go back to Carvahall after he defeats Galbatorix. Roran doesn't know about Eragon yet. Eragon reveals everything to Roran.


I set my eyes upon my birthplace. My home. I felt a slight longing to be there, with Roran and Horst and Albreich and Baldor... But that was different now. I was different.

I left Saphira concealed in the shade of the trees, and moved on to the village entrance. I quickly pulled up the hood of my worn jacket, covering my slanted features and pointed ears in the velvety shadows.

I entered the town, walking with panther-like grace, keeping to the shadows. My mind scanned the surrounding beings, but found nothing of interest. Oh how he just wished he could go back to the old days, things were so much easier back then!

Then suddenly I sensed many familiar presences to my west. I turned to face Morn's tavern and couldn't help but smile. By now, I had drawn many a curious look from passing villagers, and they each watched me, eyes narrowed at my gracefulness, as I walked into the tavern.

Sound bombarded my ears, the force of it actually making me take a step back. Familiar faces surrounded me, but I picked the dark, deserted table in the corner to sit at. I ordered an ale, and sat back to observe all of my surroundings.

Roran and Balder sat at a table in the opposite corner, arm wrestling each other. The match had drawn over a little crowd as each of them fought for dominance over the other's arm.

Roran eventually forced down Baldor's arm and I chuckled at Baldor's pain. When Roran released him, he stood indignantly, rubbing his arm and said, "That was not I proper fight! I challenge you, Roran, Garrowsson, to a real sword fight!

Roran grinned, and stood. "You're on." He replied in a low voice.

Eragon decided to follow them as they headed outside, each picking a good stick from the pile by the door. This was obviously a common sport now, he guessed.

'People are starting to notice you, little one. Stay low.' Warned Saphira, and sure enough, as he looked around he noticed many people staring at him.

He stepped into the growing crowd to watch, hopefully being concealed in the throng of people. He could taste the anticipation in the air.

Roran and Balder settled into an inaccurate fighting stance, ready to leap into battle at any moment. Roran stepped forward, and suddenly Baldor was pouncing, aiming a blow at his cousin's shoulder. Roran quickly deflected the blow with a back-handed move, following through with a wide slide for Baldor's hip.

As the two fought, Eragon reflected on how slow and clumsy they seemed to him. He grew kind of frustrated because nobody seemed to notice all the opportunities to defeat their opponent, or to deflect a blow or land one. At one point, he got so annoyed, he called "Him him faster, you idiot!" Just as Saphira yelled, 'ERAGON!'

Roran, Baldor, and the rest of the crowd just stared at him. He cleared his throat, looking down at the ground. For the first time, he noticed how melodic, beautiful, and smooth his voice sounded, even when yelling roughly.

Then Baldor called out, "I'd like to see you do better. You just seem weak and girly to me!"

I shook my head to the challenge.

"Too scared, are we? Afraid you're going to get hurt? Poor little girly!" Baldor taunted him, trying to provoke him into battle. It worked.

Eragon pushed through the crowd, reaching the clearing where Baldor and Roran stood, smirking.

Eragon tied a firm knot at his hood to keep it from falling down whilst he fought. He took Roran's stick from him, gently tugging it out of his grip. Roran backed into the crowd, smirking at Eragon. His gentleness had obviously made him think of him as weaker still. 'I'll show him', he thought.

'Eragon, I don't think this is such a good idea...' Saphira warned, but Eragon ignored her, and settled into the perfect fighting stance. I could sense Baldor sizing me up, and watched as he settled into a 'fighting stance'.

Baldor lunged, aiming for my shoulder. I stepped out of the way inhumanly fast, and spun, knocking his sword out of Baldor's hands, hitting him on the back so he fell to his knees, and held the stick to his neck, all in a blink of a human eye. But a flailing limb had tugged at the knot around his hood, and it fell away, exposing his familiar and yet alien face.

I stood rigid, frozen in fear. Not only had he revealed who he was, but he had done so in a large crowd of people. 'Idiot...' He thought to himself. He could sense Saphira's smugness at his idiocity, and shoved her out of his mind. This was not a good time.

The crowd was silent, absorbing what had just happened. I removed the stick, and helped Baldor roughly to his feet. Baldor shied away from him, into the crowd.

Eragon searched the crowd, looking for Roran. His eyes met his cousin's, and he could sense a shadow of recognition in his mind, but he banished the thought from his mind quickly. This saddened Eragon, and he fled from the scene, taking an old childhood shortcut through the field.

Just as Eragon reached the Spine, he sensed a presence following him. He stopped dead, and waited as the man approached cautiously before whipping around, springing upon him and pinning him to the ground.

He looked into the face of his cousin. "Roran!" He gasped before he could stop himself, and clamped a hand around his mouth as he realised his mistake. He leapt to his feet, and backed up a little bit.

He watched as Roran carefully, warily made his way up to his feet, leaving his unblinking eyes upon Eragon the entire time. It was a little freaky. Soon he was standing straight, just staring at Eragon the entire time.

"Who are you?" He asked eventually, curiosity getting the better of him.

"I am here to represent the Varden, looking for new recruits." Eragon replied formally, and suddenly Roran recognised that voice.

"Eragon?!" He gasped, "Is that really you?!" Eragon looked a little surprised, but then bowed his head.

"How could you just leave us like that?! Do you know what we have been through, all because of you? Eragon, you are to come back with me this instant and explain yourself!" Roran sounded so commanding, that Eragon almost obeyed him, but then he shook his head at the ground.

"It's a bit more complicated than that..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"What do you mean it's complicated?! What are you hiding, Eragon?" He asked, years showing how easily he could translate Eragon's emotions.

"Maybe this will help..." And with that, he summoned Saphira with his mind, quickly explaining the situation to her quickly in his mind.

Roran suddenly hear a deafening roar overhead, and his ears popped at the sudden air pressure. Then, a gleaming sapphire dragon dropped from the sky and thudded down next to Eragon.

"Aaaaaaaarrrrggh!" Roran yelled, falling back, and landing painfully on his back. He struggled to his feet, and stumbled backwards as fast as possible with his twisted angle. "Eragon! Run!" He said, waving frantically at him. "There's a dragon behind you!"

Eragon looked really quite amused at my reaction. "OH MY GOD, ERAGON, YOU COME HERE RIGHT NOW!" To my shock and dismay, he actually laughed!

"Roran, it's okay!" Eragon said reassuringly, "This is just my dragon, Saphira." I laughed at how outrageous it was, deep down fitting everything together like a puzzle, and really knowing that what he was saying was probably the truth.

With a sudden rush of strong emotions, I ran up and attempted to thrust my fist into my cousin's face. I was shocked when he deflected the blow even as I was a quarter of the way through the strike with inhuman speed and ferocity. I stumbled back a bit, but easily regained my balance.

"You - You're a Dragon Rider!?" I asked weakly. Eragon just nodded, and I felt uncharacteristic tears well up in my eyes. "We must tell the others. They have a right to know."

Eragon shook his head sadly, looking at the ground. Meanwhile Saphira growled and glared at me, clawing the ground with almighty talons.

"What do you mean 'no', Eragon?!" I asked angrily, attempting to ignore Saphira's piercing ice-blue gaze. "You left with Garrow dead, the farm destroyed, me just barely being able to scrape by! You left the villagers bewildered, and me worried sick about you, and you won't even tell your home town the truth about yourself?! Coward."

Eragon bowed his head lower, as if he could physically feel the weight of my words. He looked up, determined. "I will tell Carvahall."

* What did you think? My first fanfic ever. Might be continued, please review!

-Shadow.


End file.
